Evidence for an inducible active transport of carnitine in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

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Abstract

A permeation of carnitine into intact cells has not been reported. In erythrocytes this quaternary compound is only adsorbed at the cell surface (Thomitzek and Willgerodt, 1965). The present communication deals with the accumulation of carnitine by Ps. aeruginosa. Ps. aeruginosa utilizes L-carnitine and some other quaternary compounds as sole source of nitrogen and carbon (Aurich and Lorenz, 1959; Strack et al., 1962). The ability to oxidize carnitine is acquired by induction (Kleber and Aurich, 1966); only carnitine induces; glucose and glycine betaine repress the formation of the enzymes required for the oxidation of carnitine (Aurich and Kleber, 1966). Carnitine also brings about the sequential induction of the enzymes involved in the degradation of 3-dehydrocarnitine and glycine betaine.

The findings mentioned imply that the bacteria are able to transport carnitine. In this report we present the results of experiments on the transport of carnitine in Ps. aeruginosa.

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